Kris Boyd Article

[ian1964 10,720]

The prolific centre-forward is at a crossroads in his career and may have to leave Ibrox to prove his worth

 

Walter Smith's probable team selection for Rangers' Champions League group stage opening fixture in Stuttgart may have been a subject for pre-match debate but one thing was plain. Again, on the big occasion, there would be no place for Kris Boyd.

 

And so it proved ââ?¬â?? the prolific marksman was left among the substitutes for the entire 90 minutes in the Mercedes-Benz Arena. It was folly to imagine Smith would alter his approach of deploying only one striker for European games but, in his defence, the midfield presence of JÃ?©rÃ?´me Rothen and Steven Naismith offered a more attacking edge than has been witnessed in the past.

 

The manager was perfectly vindicated by a rousing second-half performance. The Glasgow club could even have won a match whose 1-1 result they would have gleefully accepted before a ball was kicked.

 

So what of Boyd and, more pertinently, how many times will the striker accept being deployed as something of a specialist ââ?¬â?? utilised and apparently deemed reliable only in domestic matches? Even then, the former Kilmarnock striker is frequently left out of the side for Rangers' bigger Scottish Premier League matches.

 

There is no doubt, however, that he will feature when Rangers visit Rugby Park tomorrow. Boyd has toyed with Kilmarnock since leaving in a �£400,000 deal, averaging more than a goal a game against his former employers.

 

To the untrained eye, this is a curious situation. Boyd's Rangers strike-rate is hugely impressive. In 93 league starts ââ?¬â?? and 23 appearances from the bench ââ?¬â?? he has scored 81 goals. He is equally prolific in domestic cup competitions. The devil, though, is in the detail. Why has the 26-year-old made fewer than 100 SPL starts since moving to Ibrox in January 2006?

 

His limitations are clear, even if Boyd continues to produce what many argue is the most crucial commodity in football ââ?¬â?? goals. His movement and link-up play is poor, he is not particularly impressive in the air for someone who is 6ft 1in and he lacks the kind of pace which you would expect players at the top level to possess. Yet it would be harsh to suggest Boyd lacks a canny football brain. His knack of being in the right place at the right time proves the absurdity of that theory. In simple terms, if you merged the respective talents of Boyd and his club-mate Kenny Miller, you may come up with the finest striker Scotland has produced for years.

 

But for all that Boyd's decision to exclude himself from international duty while George Burley remains in office is silly. The simple reason for this, after all, is that Boyd was not deemed a first choice for the starting XI. If he adopted the same stance at his club, presumably he would currently be on strike.

 

Boyd is unlikely to start when Sevilla visit Glasgow in under a fortnight. With under a year left on his contract, there will come a time when the player must ask himself how he can realise his ambitions of playing at the top level. Boyd is a Rangers supporter, he showed no willingness to leave the club last month amid lucrative interest from Turkey. He was similarly dismissive of a move to Birmingham City in January. Rangers' financial troubles have been well publicised, yet their eagerness to accept offers for the centre-forward illustrates that they regard him as a disposable asset. The level of the teams which have come in for him ââ?¬â?? there has not exactly been vigorous interest ââ?¬â?? provides tacit admission of his failings.

 

In January Boyd would be sensible from both a personal and financial point of view to rebuff any transfer opportunities. Rangers, conversely, will surely seek to cash in on him at the last available opportunity. There is, after all, no current suggestion at all that Boyd will be offered a new deal at Ibrox.

 

Comparisons have been made between Boyd and two of his prolific predecessors in light blue. Jim Forrest, the only player to reach 50 Rangers goals quicker than Boyd, four decades ago, was basically drummed out of Ibrox after the infamous Scottish Cup defeat by Berwick Rangers. Forrest scored an amazing 57 goals in the 1964-65 season, but was dispatched to Preston North End almost entirely because of that Berwick debacle two years later.

 

Another analogy, more crucially, is made with Ally McCoist. It is often forgotten that the club's record goalscorer also had his share of critics during his 15 years at Rangers because of his supposed lack of interest or ability outside the penalty area.

 

Boyd, too, openly frustrates an element of his team's own support. His bad games are seriously bad and last Saturday at Motherwell was a prime example. McCoist and Boyd are inextricably linked now. McCoist is widely tipped to step up from his current position as assistant manager in the near future. Such a move will mean his assessment of Boyd is crucial to the player's future.

 

As more nights such as Wednesday pass him by, it becomes more and more likely that his future will be away from Rangers.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/sep/18/kris-boyd-rangers

[Norris Cole 0]

"The prolific centre-forward is at a crossroads in his career and may have to leave Ibrox to prove his worth"

 

 

Don't the bheasts hope so.

[Zappa 0]

"The prolific centre-forward is at a crossroads in his career and may have to leave Ibrox to prove his worth"

 

 

Don't the bheasts hope so.

Aye it looks like they're turning to using the power of suggestion. Shame they haven't taken the hint about going home.

[Gazza_8 233]

I thought it was a good read.

[Zappa 0]

I thought it was a good read.

To be taken with a big pinch of Irish sea salt though, since Boyd wants to stay at Rangers, still believes he's got a chance of featuring in Europe for us, has said he wouldn't be swayed towards leaving if he doesn't feature & Coisty has said that Boyd is in the plans for the European games.

[Super_Ally 0]

An odd article coming off the back of Boyd saying that the draw in Europe was more important than him getting a game.

[UCF2008 0]

Why has the 26-year-old made fewer than 100 SPL starts since moving to Ibrox in January 2006?

 

Come January 2010 that will work out at around 25 league starts a season, which isn't to be scoffed at for an Old Firm striker

 

The simple reason for this, after all, is that Boyd was not deemed a first choice for the starting XI. If he adopted the same stance at his club, presumably he would currently be on strike.

 

And if he had been getting any where near the same proportion of starts for Scotland there probably wouldn't have been an issue. Burley made it clear that Boydy wasn't 3rd or even 4th choice striker and used the same fuzzy logic as this joker when trying to excuse himself.

[Guest ewan mcteagle]

At present no one comes close to Boyd's goal ratio so even if he doesn't shine in Europe or v Timmy his goals are still vital in SPL, and it could be argued that without him the title wouldn't have been won last season. Le Guen tried to make him contribute more and I'm sure Wattie has, but he's unlikely to change now or suddenly develop sublime touch or pace. We accept him for what he is, a remarkable goalscorer surrounded by 10 players or cash in and hope that Naismith, Lafferty or others come good. It would be insanity to offload him now though as we'd probably draw or lose games we'd otherwise win. Kenny Miller for all his effort still couldn't hit a coo's arse with a banjo and goals from midfield are rare indeed. There should be no debate, a knighthood or MBE and long term contract for Boyd.

[Union City Blue 0]

An odd article coming off the back of Boyd saying that the draw in Europe was more important than him getting a game.

 

I though Ian's article was fair commment.

 

But; when I heard KB saying what he did this week I wondered if he's finnaly gotten used to the idea that he'll play as and when the manager picks him.

 

If he starts the majority of games in a season and is a playing sub in another chunk, keeps scoring 30+ goals and picks up a lot of money in the process, maybe he's happy with that. Maybe he knows his limitations, the benefits of being at Ibrox and how he'd feel if he went somewhere else. Maybe he just likes his life.

 

If all that's true, we have a perfect situation and it comes down to the manager picking him at the right times.

Edited September 19, 2009 by Union City Blue
read SA's update with better stats

[Zappa 0]

I though Ian's article was fair commment.

The article was written by Ewan Murray for the Guardian footy blog. Not sure if it went to print, but no doubt it did. Personally, I think it's an odd opinion that the article gets across since it doesn't correlate with what we're hearing from Boyd or the management in any way whatsoever.